judge any thing in thee but what falls under the condemnation of the light and truth of God and though thou pretendest to a fulnesse of light and knowledge yet I finde thee low and dark by thy frivolous answers which thou givest to what the Soul is what the two witnesses are what the first and second resurrection is what the day of judgement heaven and hell are and many other things propounded to thee which I finde thee unable and unwilling to make out the truth of and therefore art thou angry that thy weak building is so much as questioned And yet thou knowest the Apostles counsel is to us all that we should be alwayes ready to give answer of the hope that is in us with meeknesse and fear but thou having no hope but in this life thy heaven and happinesse here art judged of all men to be most miserable according to what the Apostle saith If in this life onely we have hope in him we are of all men most miserable And so thou miserable wretch art loath to be questioned though thou send questions by the scores to other men Repl. But thou seest mine intent thou sayest I would not have my deeds of darknesse reproved Answ If thou hast received wisdom and power to reprove in the name of the Lord do it as sharply and bitterly as thou canst for let the righteous smite me it shall be a kindnesse let him reprove me it shall be an excellent Oyl which shall not break mine head But to thee I say have a care thou take not the name of God in vain for the righteous one I do not finde in thee reproving seeing thou canst not do it in the patience and meeknesse of Jesus Christ. But thou sayest Repl. Is not that the honour which is given to all the Saints to execute judgement upon the Heathen Psal 149. 6 7 8 9. And all that know not God are Heathen and he that sins hath neither seen God nor known God 1 Joh. 3. 6. That which cleanseth man leadeth man to see God The pure in heart see God and Canaan was a figure of the spiritual rest c. Answ Friend wert thou in the meaning as well as in the Letter of these Scriptures thine eyes would be in thine own head not alwayes abroad like an Heathen in the ends of the earth and so thou wouldest judge and excute vengeance upon the Heathen or carnal man in thy self and then be in a fit posture of wisdom to judge the Heathen or carnal men without bearing witnesse against all their railings and revilings both in thy words and deeds But to look a little upon the places noted by thee This honour have all the Saints to execute the Lords vengeance by the two edged sword of his Spirit upon all the Heathen But thou art found to thy dishonour judging the Sons of God and the Daughters of God to be Heathen and so thy sword is drawn against the Lords anointed ones not against the Heathen And as for the binding of their Kings with Chains and their Nobles with fetters of Iron which shall be the honour of the Saints to do I finde this Scripture not yet eminently fulfilled in spirit and power some outward binding I have seen fulfilled in our own land but the firm real strong binding and limiting that shall be by the reigning of Christ in power and great glory in his Saints this shall asswage the malice and rigour of the Kings of the earth against the Church and make them stoop and bend and be willing to bring all their glory to her because they shall see and say the Lord is in you of a truth This day of the Churches power through the presence of the Lord in her in much wisdom knowledge righteousnesse and love to binde the Heathen and their Kings I finde dawning and the desire of all Nations is not far off But yet through the Saints violence and rage one against another in their several forms and imaginations evâ—ry one making hast to have the Crown and Honour of the day to himself â—â—â—t looking so much to the coming of the Lord as to his own advancing above all others of his brethren watching rather upon one anothers infirmities than upon the appearing of the Lord in one another through this weaknesse of the Saints and too much indulgence to their forms I finde the great day of binding to be retarded and prolonged yet the Vision is for an appointed time he that shall come will come and will not tarry And had we but a little more faith patience and quietnesse in our spirits we should soon see the Lord and his salvation Therefore stand ye still and be silent O all flesh wait upon the Lord and he shall bring forth thy righteousnesse as the light and thy judgement as the noon day It is his nature his power in the Saints that must bind Satan and all the wicked ones of the earth If man onely binde and kill and slay this worketh no deliverance no settlement no peace as we see at this day But when the Lord shall binde and slay and put in prison our enemies then we shall have rest and joy and quietnesse in our habitations Therefore as Bellarmine said when he came to die after all his study and labour to advance free will and mans merits that it was the safest way onely to rely upon Christ so say I after all our vain study and labour each to draw Disciples after himself to make his name and side great and strong the best and safest way will be for every one to rely upon the Lord and to think soberly of himself according as God hath given to every man the measure of truth and faith and then we shall begin to Judge the Heathen indeed and not thus shame our selves before them by our envy and railing and evill speaking one against another Repl. Further thou sayest all that know not God are Heathen and he that sins hath neither seen God nor known God Answ And so say I all that know him not in some measure of light and love are heathens and he that is in bondage to corruption that sins freely and willingly he hath no true sense nor saving knowledge of God upon him or in him and yet through infirmity temptation and weaknesse a Saint who hath a sweet taste and sense of God may be found in that which is sinfull though this man will by no means allow or approve of sin As Paul saith the evill which I do I allow not Repl. And thou sayest that which cleanseth men leadeth man to see God the pure in heart see God Answ All this is truth That which cleanseth and purifieth and leadeth to a sight of God is one power one pure spirit and by cleansing out what is contrary unto it self and making it self plain which is pure it leads the soul according to it's discovery into the spirituall rest where it satiates and fills it self with
though all the Members be living in him and Elected in him yet he without them is no compleat body and so no full Election and therefore as the Election takes in Christ so all the Saints of God and whereas thou sayest all that receive him wherein the Election is in him are Elected this is true if thou understand it of the manifestation of Election to us so our receiving of Christ declares to us that we are Elected and adopted of God but if thou understand it à priori of the cause and ground in God of our Election as if he had therefore Elected us because he foresaw such and such would receive Christ then thy speech savours of an old errour for this builds Election upon the foresight of merits faith and power in man to receive Christ and so it destroyes the grace of God for if Election be by grace meere grace then it is not at all upon forseen faith and works otherwise grace is no more grace read Rom. 11. 5 6 7. And so though we receive Christ because we are Elected in him Eph. 1. 4. Yet we are not therefore Elected because we do receive him all being according to the Lords good pleasure to the praise of the glory of his grace and so as 't is in the outward world there was the image or idea of every thing first mente divina in the divine minde before it came forth in the creature not first in the creature and then in the minde of God that could not be seeing the creature was not so in the spiritual world the Church things were first in God as in their ground not first in the creature and then in God and so the idea of our Election was first laid up in the Lords minde counsell grace and good pleasure not in our acting believing and receiving Christ his beloved for this no man can do till it be given and so this building Election upon our receiving Christ is a building upon the sand upon something no man where it is not not upon the Rock which is the grace and good pleasure of God and so it makes voide the nature of grace and our Election though vain man that would be wise and something cannot receive this Quest 7. What is the Covenant of works and the Covenant of grace and how ye were led out of the first and established in the second Answ The Covenant of works is that which man doth from the letter thereby to get life and the Covenant of grace is that written in the heart where Christ is the Light Life and Law-giver and by him the Law is fullfilled in us who walk no more after the flesh but after the spirit and by his light were we led out of the first and by his life were we established in the second Repl. This being a sober answer I could wish it were written in thine heart and proceeded from the life and power of that Covenant where all is written and sealed within And friend if it did so though the Letter would not be unto thee as the life yet it would never be slighted by thee being a witnesse unto the life Joh. 5. 39. much lesse would so much of the Kingdom be placed in some of the lesser observations of it when the weightier are neglected though none that live in the Kingdom will account any command of God small and much lesse yet wouldest thou make the commands of God of none effect by thy traditions neglecting the Law of faith of meeknesse of love and peace because thy ceremonies and traditions are neglected by others if you ask wherein ask thine own conscience and let that be thy witnesse and testimony in all which thou art found still walking more after the flesh then after the spirit Quest 8. What is the state of sin and wrath which all men are in and under by nature and how ye were led out of this estate Answ The state of sin is a state of condemnation and wrath from God separated in which all are by nature but by that light which is contrary to nature are we led out of this estate for he 's given to be a leader Isai 55. 4. Rep. What can poor fallen Adam or man do till God comes quickens him by a word of promise given in a spirit of power for I find the state of nature is a state of sin deadness darkness as to the things of God and the life of God wherein there 's no power to believe nor light to turn us towards God and in this estate there 's a departing from God still through unbelief and a wandring in the dark after the desires of the flesh and minde and so a separation from God and a coveting to hide our selves from his presence amongst the things that are made because we finde nothing due unto us by reason of sin and nakednesse but condemnation and wrath and so we are by nature children of wrath till the Lord in mercy and great love quicken us and raise us up through the second Adam revealed in us to live in him who is our light and life and so the onely leader of lost man out of the former state of sin and wrath and so he 's given to be a Leader and Commander by being an inward witnesse of love to us and all to free us from the Law of sin death and condemnation Quest 9. Whether any in this life are totally freed from the remnants of sin and darknesse seeing Paul saith now we know but in part and he prayed for an increase of knowledge in the Saints and Peter exhorts to grow in knowledge and Paul complains of a body of sin of a Thorn in the flesh of the lusting of the flesh against the spirit and James said in many things we offend all and John if we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us Answ In the life wherein thou livest is no redemption from sin for that is it which cannot bear good fruit Repl. To which I say I know that in me that is in my flesh dwells no good thing for the flesh is flesh still and sinfull still and cannot bring forth the fruit of God which springs from a new birth but in the life of Christ in me or that life which springs from the new birth there is redemption from sin and this is that which brings forth in me fruit to God Answ Further to the death of the Crosse must thou subject and obedient be else not know that life and birth which is free from sin Repl. What I am I am through the grace of God and this grace abounding towards me has brought over my flesh that Crosse whereby I am in measure Crucified and so have tasted and known that birth which is free from sin Answ The life of the new man who witnesses is free from sin Rom. 6. 6 7. and 18. 22. Repl. All the freedom from sin which this
a man singular in his generation who is able to declare it he was the Virgins son without the knowledge of a man he was the word made flesh even that word of promise which was made to Adam came and figured and brought forth it self in the similitude of sinfull flesh or in the form of man out of a woman without the least influence of man Thou shalt conceive sayes the Angel in thy womb and bring forth a son call his name Jesus he shall be great and shall be called the son of the highest How can this be sayes Marie seeing I know not a man Then answered the Angel the holy Ghost shall come upon thee the power of the highest shall over shadow thee therefore that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the son of God here was an holy Childe a Childe begotten formed brought forth meerly by the finger of God Here was no tincture touch or influence of man in this birth therfore called the Son of God the holy thing holy flesh pure flesh like the flesh of Adam in innocency nay more glorious a body descended from God a body filled with God or God cloathed with the veil of a mans body hence there was nothing in this man but God therefore called Emanuel hence there could be no earthly sinfull minde and will begotten in and with that man no he was wholly wrapped up in the Deity in the will of the Father and so the Serpent could have no footing in him because no earthlinesse in him to work upon tempt him he might but prevail be could not because he was not an earthly seed but an heavenly and so made in the likenesse of a sinner yet he knew no sin he never fed upon that Tree but the will of his Father was his food hence he 's called holy undefiled the second Adam the Lord from heaven a spiritual heavenly man so he was in that man Iesus Christ so he is in all the Saints of God an heavenly man a new man begotten by the power of the most high and so is in us that new birth which cannot commit sin But as for thy body and the bodies of all men in the world we are far beneath Christ in our generation being men begotten of earthly seed in the lust and weaknesse and darknesse of the first Adam fallen hence after his fall he 's said to beget a son in his own likenesse after his image Gen. 5. 3. Not after the likenesse of God that could not be since he was fallen from God but after his own likenesse his own nature which was now fallen to the earth such as the father was such the son must be fleshly earthly hence it comes to passe that mans as he growes up naturally enclines to the creatures lusteth and longeth after the world and so the spirit of his Soul his minde and will becomes infected with the earth and flesh and so he longs after the earthly fruit and being darkned and estranged from the life of God through his carnall longing hence he alwayes enclines to himself to the woman the weaker part and so hearkens to the voice of flesh and goes away from God and here he commits iniquity with greedinesse Eph. 4. 17 18. and so the foundation of sin is laid in mans generation Psal 51. 5. Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me and so the flesh is sins free-hold where he rules and dwels as Paul Rom. 7. 18. I know that in me that is in my flesh dwell's no good thing I do not take the flesh for the body onely for that without the Soul is a dead thing and knows neither good nor evill but for the whole first man or the man-hood made up of body and Soul this man as soon as he is born goes astray Psal 58. 3. He looks to the earth and so his minde and will becomes infected he covets and he lusts in the dark and has not he 's angry and fain he would be alone he feeds upon the outbirth with is like himself and all to nourish himself and strengthen himself and be something of himself and yet he 's faint and weary and when the Lord comes to seate himself or to arise out of the grave in him where he lies dead as it were and to form the heavenly man by his heavenly seed in this earthly Tabernacle or man-hood of ours Ah! what renting and tearing is there before the Soul be willing to receive this new guest as there must be a rending of the woman before the Childe is born so a rending of the Soul before the man-childe be born compared to the sorrows of a woman in travel and when this son of the virgin this new man is born in the minde and begins to shew himself in us then he sins not indeed but the flesh is weak and sins still and so long as the earthly house is the earthly man is and he 's for himself and so vails the heavenly in part still till the earthly be quite broken by death and hence Paul desired to be dissolved and to be with Christ not to be Christ but with Christ and that not in the body but out of the body which sayes he is best of all Phil. 1. 23. 24. and 2 Cor. 5. 1 to 9. And yet notwithstanding all this I know vain man will be wise though man be born like a wilde Asses colt Job 11. 12. Quest 10. Whether or no there be not a vast difference between the light of natural conscience and grace seeing the light of the one is a guide to the Gentiles and all men and the light of the other a peculiar guide onely unto the Saints Answ The light of Christ is the onely guide to all that follow it and besides it there is no guide to Jew or Gentile Repl. There can indeed be no other light but what comes from Christ as no other life but what comes from him for his light is the life of men and his life is the light of men Ioh. 1. 4. In him was life and the life was the light of men and so the light and the life are one in the original but in their coming forth to us they are cloathed with divers names and so as all flesh is not the same for there is one kinde of flesh of men another of fish another of birds there are also celestiall bodies and bodies terrestriall even so all light and life which is the glory of a thing is not the same and so there is one glory of the Sun another of the Moon another of the Stars for one Star differeth from another Star in glory and thus it is in the world some are wise some politick some temperate some patient some valiant and the like and this it is in the Church some Prophets some Apostles some Evangelists some Pastors some Teachers some weak some strong some bond some free
so that all light it seemes is not the same though it come from the same root 't is not the same to us in it self 't is one and the same but to us 't is called natural spiritual reason grace and so there is the natural man and the spiritual man and each one of these have their light and that is the same to it self and in it self but in the natural man 't is but reason 't is but gathering and discerning of things by discourse and arguments from things that are made and so the natural man seeks after God in this Creation Rom. 1. 19. 20. and this light of the natural man is far below the light that is in the spiritual man even as far as the light and life that is in beasts is below the light and life that is in men and so the natural man receives not the things of the spirit neither can he know them for they are beyond his principle of light but the spiritual man discerneth all thingh 1 Cor. 2. 14 15. And yet the naturall man has a light too I call him the natural man because he 's first and to us more manifest as the Apostle sayes that which is first is naturall afterwards that which is spiritual this first man according to his principle has a light and life and that flows from the root Christ in him which he sees not for the head of every man is Christ and in him all live and move and have their being and this light or Christ shines in the darknesse but the darknesse knows it not and so man has skill and understanding in things of nature and as far as this creation teaches him and this is his light and the root which is Christ he sees not and so is still in darknesse as to Christ the hidden things of God now all this light or reason sets man in a sphere above beasts which are therefore called irrational man rational and this light through low and faint yet teaches man to feel and groap after a God and to worship yet still 't is to the unknown God it shines and glimmers in the darknesse of the first man fallen and as it came from God so it returns to God feels after him in this and that without and wearies it self about the knowledge of good and evill and many times puts some faint desires in man after God enough to bear witnesse of it self unto man and to leave him inexcusable but this light is but an imperfect weak faint light as I may so call it not that any thing is so to God but to us 't is so as vailed by our fleshly minde thoughts longings so it grows weaker and weary and in the end goes out and we see it no more and so man in the first state has need of a new birth a new man that is spirit and power from God a new fountain to break up in him or rather to have that awakened which before lay dead left us in darknes man has need of this as we see in the case of Paul and our own experiences this is he whom we are to wait for the coming of Christ the new man to visit us with light and salvation and when Christ and grace and love from the father springs up in us and shews it self to be our light and guide then the true light is come it was but flesh before but reason and nature and law now 't is the truth and it brings grace and truth to us and now God is come Christ is come they were there before but now we are awakened and we see them to be there and this coming of Christ in power as to Paul is the coming of light and life indeed unto our Souls before this was revealed in Paul he knew something indeed of the Law and the Tree of knowledge of good and evil but he knew nothing of the Gospel of the Tree of life of the truth as 't is in Jesus and of his own wicked false heart but when Christ was revealed then he leaves off flesh and bloud and consults with Christ alone and he makes all things manifest and shews him what to do and thus you see a vast difference between the light that is in the first man and the light that is in the second man I mean the light that is in us whilest we are in the state of nature and the light that is in us when we come to be in the state of grace in the first 't is but reason and it tends to the building up of man and self because 't is weak and knows not the Lord in truth nor the way to him and 't is onely sufficient to witnesse there is a God and so to condemne us because we run into sin but 't is not sufficient by the highest improvement of it to bring us acquainted with Christ and salvation by him as we see in the case of Paul but as for the light which springs up in us in us through a manifestation or revelation of Christ in to our Souls this shews us the father in love and brings us reconciled and leads us to feed and live upon him for evermore and so is a bringing of us out of darknesse into his marvellous light Answ Thou sayest Christ is natural to none Repl. If thou mean that he 's not in nature as a spark under the ashes so 't is false but if thou mean that the natural man knows him not so 't is true Further Thou sayest Christ is not in their conscience but is a witnesse against all natural inclinations and works acted in the corrupt nature Repl. Here thou contradicts thy self for if Christ witnesse against natural works where do's he witnesse but in the conscience and what is the conscience but a certain witnesse within according unto the spark of Christ that is in the conscience or knowledge unto the evil or good we do and so conscience do's either excuse us or accuse us according unto our works and is not this all the light of Christ that is in the Gentiles Rom. 2. 14 15. therefore why doest thou say that Christ is not in the Gentiles conscience according to some measure of light and if he be there in light then this light is in the conscience Answ Further who are of Christ partake of the Divine nature where he 's law and life to them Repl. This is true And those thou sayest have no Letter being brought into that nature But why then doest thou so much trouble the world with the Letter when it seems to favour thy ceremonies traditions and observationss if they who partake of Christ have no use nor need of Letter Answ Thou sayest Christ is but one who is the light of the world and lighteth every man who cometh into the world Jew and Gentile and in them both this light is but one Repl. And so is thy talk still but one one in darknesse and comes